The Minnesota State Fair is firing up the grills early, bringing back its pre-fair Kickoff to Summer at the Fair over Memorial Day weekend. Think of it as a stripped-down sampler of the Great Minnesota Get-Together: fair food, local brews, live music and a curated lineup of specialty merchants spread across four days in late May. With crowd limits in place and ticket specifics still under wraps, would-be fairgoers are being warned not to procrastinate.
Dates and schedule
As reported by KSTP, Kickoff to Summer at the Fair runs Thursday, May 21 through Sunday, May 24, 2026. Hours are Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event will serve up fair food and brews from roughly 50 vendors, feature live music and other entertainment, and showcase more than 30 specialty merchants. Attendance is free but capped, and ticket information is expected in March.
Milk Run 5K returns
The Minnesota State Fair is folding its Milk Run 5K into Kickoff weekend, with a 9 a.m. start on Saturday, May 23, according to the fair's event listing. As detailed on the Minnesota State Fair Milk Run page, entry is $50, limited to the first 2,000 registrants, and includes runner perks plus a Kickoff admission ticket. Early registration is strongly encouraged, since the deadline is Tuesday, March 24 or whenever the field fills, whichever comes first.
Plan ahead
With daily attendance capped, anyone hoping to grab their favorite vendor treats without the usual late-summer crush will need a game plan. As reported by KSTP, ticket details will be released in March and some days could sell out once advance sales open, so signing up for updates could be the difference between getting in and sitting it out. For menus, vendor lists and maps, fair fans should keep an eye on the Minnesota State Fair's official site as it rolls out more information closer to the event.
